This Historic Park Is One Of Kansas's Best Kept Secrets
By Clarisa|Published September 10, 2018
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Clarisa
Author
Born and raised Kansan, Clarisa has lived in both tiny towns and cities during their time here in the Sunflower State. As a busy mother of one crazy kid, two cats, and two geckos, they write whenever there is spare time.
Have you ever heard of a state park in Kansas that’s full of history? This park is no secret – it attracts plenty of visitors every year, but many don’t know about the history it holds. Rich history can be found all over Kansas, if only you know where to look. Today, we’re starting at this amazing historic park in western Kansas.
Welcome to Lake Scott State Park, a beautiful destination for any Kansas traveler.
However, it's not all just water and rock formations around here. There's a wealth of history around the park, if you take the time to look around.
There's a lot of history hidden in the trees here, but seeing it all isn't a chore. Every piece of history you find is like a breadcrumb that leads to a bigger picture of what life was like for our settlers and natives.
Even if you don't stay within the park, there's history surrounding it too. About a mile south of the park is Battle Canyon, where the last known Native American battle in Kansas took place.
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The Steele House is now also part of the state park, built in 1894.
The owners of the home lived in the basement as a dugout type space as they built the house above them, with beautiful rows of limestone. In 1928, they sold 640 acres of land to the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission, which would become the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism later on. Their only stipulation was that they would be allowed to live in the home until their deaths. This beloved home they had built lasted them until 1930, when they were both deceased, one month after the park opened officially.
It is believed it was destroyed by fire, and over the years more of it eroded away with the wind and rain. It was mostly used by the Plains Apache during most of it's lifetime, and from a plaque nearby, you can see the relative layout of the home before it was destroyed.
The park itself is 1,020 acres of native wildlife, and 100 acres of lake.
In the spirit of preserving history, this park is also dedicated to preserving native wildlife. After all, these animals have been here since before any of us were.
Next time you think about enjoying a weekend or so at a state park in Kansas, give this one a try.
Not only will you have the opportunity to learn more about our state history, but you'll enjoy a beautiful time while you do it.
Lake Scott State Park is located in western Kansas, just north of Scott City. If you need help getting around, check out the map we’ve included below. In addition, if you need extra information about the park, check out their website here.
If you love history around Kansas, you’ll enjoy checking out this building that survived the infamous Dalton Gang.
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